ENGIN. 
LIBRARY 


00 


ENGINEERING  LIBRARY 


u 

* 


(A  c      V 


THE 

ELLSWORTH  DAM 


ON  THE 


UNION    RIVER 

AT 

ELLSWORTH,    MAIN* 


PROPERTY    OF    THE 


Bar  Harbor  and  Union  River  Power  Co. 


ELLSWORTH 


BANGOR 


Maine 


Bar  Harbor  and  Union  River  Power  Co, 


PRESIDENT 
John  R.  Graham 

CHIEF  ENGINEER 
James  A.  Leonard 

CONSULTING  ENGINEERS 
Sellers  &  Rippey 

DAM  DESIGNED  BY 
Ambursen  Hydraulic  Construction  Co. 

CONSTRUCTORS  OF  ENTIRE  DEVELOPMENT 
Ambursen  Hydraulic  Construction  Co. 

SUPERINTENDENT  OF  CONSTRUCTION 
John  A.  Kellogg 

ENGINEERING  LIBRARY 


Height  of  Rollway  65  feet 

Height  of  Bulkhead  72  feet 

Length  of  Rollway  275  feet 

Length  of  Dam  over  all  500  feet 


The  cut  on  the  opposite  page  is  the  original  lay-out  of  the  development 


M273464 


January    1,  1908 


T  HE  beginning  of  the  new  year  inaugurates  the  production  of  electric 
^^  power  at  Ellsworth,  Maine,  by  the  Bar  Harbor  &  Union  River 
Power  Co. 

We  beg  to  present  in  the  briefest  possible  manner  and  more  by 
the  aid  of  pictures  than  by  words,  a  review  of  the  work  upon  this 
development  during  the  year  1907,  for  it  is  very  seldom  that  a  company 
can  plan  a  work  of  this  magnitude,  execute  contracts  and  complete  the 
entire  development  within  the  space  of  a  single  twelvemonth. 

The  perfected  plans  were  not  in  existence  January  1,  1907.  It 
was  about  a  year  ago  that  orders  were  given  to  the  Engineers  to  put 
plans  and  specifications  into  proper  form  and  let  contracts. 

We  signed  on  February  9th  the  contract  for  all  of  the  construction 
work  required  on  this  development,  based  upon  the  plans  as  shown  on 
page  3  together  with  our  own  designs  for  the  rollway  and  bulkhead 
of  the  dam  required.  On  the  opposite  page  is  a  cross  section  of  the 
rollway. 

On  the  10th  day  of  February,  1907,  our  superintendent  arrived 
at  Ellsworth  and  the  construction  plant  was  ordered  forward  on  the  same 
day.  Since  that  time  the  work  has  progressed  in  the  manner  indicated 
by  the  following  pictorial  record. 

AMBURSEN  HYDRAULIC  CONSTRUCTION  CO. 

176  Federal  Street 
Boston,  Mass. 


[THIS  photograph    was     made    when  the 

^^  river    at   this    site    was    being     used  to 
develop    power    for   a    saw   mill.       When    the 

construction    for    the    present  development  was 

started    the    building    shown    on    the   left  was 

standing  but  the  buildings  on  the  right  had  been 
almost  entirely   removed. 


1 


April  15,  1907 


THE  months  of  February  and  March  were 
very  cold  and  stormy.  Snow  was  on  the 
ground  and  at  times  to  the  depth  of  three  feet. 
Consequently  very  little  progress  was  made  ex- 
cepting in  the  building  of  cofferdams,  which 
were  easily  handled  through  the  ice,  and  in  the 
erection  of  necessary  buildings  for  storage  and 
for  the  convenience  of  laborers.  The  construc- 
tion plant  was  also  received  and  set  up  and  by 
the  first  of  April  the  ice  had  gone  out  of  the  river 
and  the  site  had  been  practically  cleared. 

These  photographs  show  the  building  of 
the  cofferdam  and  that  portion  of  the  site 
where  the  power  house  is  to  be  erected  at 
about  the  point  covered  by  the  building  shown 
in  the  preceding  picture. 


May  15,  1907 


TlTROM  April  15th  the  work  was  concen- 
trated on  the  foundations  for  the  power 
house  where  it  was  necessary  to  excavate  3,000 
yards  of  solid  rock  before  any  concrete  could  be 
laid.  This  work  proceeded  by  day  and  night, 
the  stone  being  broken  and  piled  up  for  use  in 
future  concrete. 


K) 


June   9,    1907 


ERE  is  shown  the  condition  of  the  work 
on  June  ninth.  On  this  day  the  excava- 
tion for  the  power  house  being  complete  and  the 
preparations  of  the  foundations  for  the  dam  being 
in  order,  concreting  was  begun. 

Notice  upon  the  hill  and  on  the  downstream 
side  of  the  cofferdam,  the  piles  of  broken  rock 
which  are  stored  ready  for  the  crusher.  A  ref- 
erence to  the  ground  plan  of  this  work  on  page 
3  will  show  how  narrow  and  constricted  was 
the  site,  there  being  little  opportunity  for  con- 
venient storage  elsewhere.  These  stone  piles 
are  directly  upon  that  portion  of  the  site  where 
later  the  forebay  must  be  excavated. 


June  18,  1907 


days  ago  the  first  concrete  was  laid. 
Today  we  show  the  work  completed  to 
this  stage,  both  views  being  taken  inside  the 
cofferdam;  No.  1  looking  downstream  and  No. 
2  looking  upstream.  Both  of  these  pictures  show 
the  movable  sectional  forms  in  place  and  No.  1 
shows  the  enlargement  of  the  buttresses  into 
haunches,  supporting  the  deck  plate,  which  is 
put  on  later. 


i  j 


'5 


. 


i6 


June  25,  1907 


MOWING  haunches  on  the  up  stream  side  of 
the  buttresses.  Notice  in  No.  2  the  steel 
reinforcement  being  put  in  place  and  preparations 
being  made  for  the  placing  of  the  deck  slab,  the 
varying  thickness  of  which  diminishing  from  the 
bottom  to  the  top  of  the  dam,  is  shown  in  the  de- 
creasing guage  of  the  projecting  rib. 


My  2,  1907 


THIS  section  of  the  dam  is  now  32  feet  in 
^  height  and  the  deck  slab  has  been  put  in 
place  for  20  feet  above  the  bottom.  In  the  upper 
picture  1 0  feet  of  the  bottom  of  the  dam  is  hidden 
behind  the  cofferdam. 

The  lower  picture  is  taken  within  the  coffer- 
dam, and  shows  one  of  the  piers  of  the  power  house 
being  put  in  place  in  front  of  the  bulkhead  section 
of  the  dam. 

Twenty-four  days  have  elapsed  since  the 
first  concrete  was  laid. 


20 


July  15,    1907 


/7THE  finished  work  is  now  to  the  42.5  level  but 
all  of  the  concrete  is  not  in  the  dam  itself. 
The  power  house  foundation  piers  are  progressing 
and  two  of  them  are  shown  completed  and  on  the 
third  the  forms  are  ready  to  be  filled. 

You  will  notice  that  the  stone  piles  are  dimin- 
ishing and  that  the  time  necessary  to  reach  this 
point  has  been  thirty-six  days. 


21 


August   1,    1907 


/jtONDITION  of  the  work  August  first  —  fifty- 
three  days.     The  work  is  now  just  beginning 
on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  stream. 

Note  the  openings  in  the  dam  which  are  here 
shown  covered  by  timber  through  which  the  river 
must  run  when  the  cofferdam  is  removed  and  the 
river  turned.  On  this  date  a  little  more  than  one- 
half  of  the  yardage  of  concrete  for  the  entire  work 
is  in  place. 


22 


1907 


ALTHOUGH  the  date  shown  on  this  picture 
~  ^  is  the  tenth  of  August,  the  exposure  was 
made  on  the  seventh  of  August,  six  days  later  than 
that  on  the  preceding  page. 

Here  is  shown  the  timber  work  removed 
from  the  openings  and  the  river  running  through. 

The  cofferdam  was  removed  and  the  water 
turned  on  Aug.  4th  —  fifty-seven  days  after  laying 
the  first  concrete.  Note  progress  of  the  buttresses 
on  the  eastern  bank. 

The  second  picture  shows  the  inner  side  of 
the  deck.  After  four  months  the  edges  of  the  con- 
crete were  as  sharp  as  shown  today  notwith- 
standing the  constant  abrasion  of  the  water. 


URING  the  latter  part  of  August  the   neces- 
sary excavation  for  foundations  for   the   dam 

were  prepared  on  the  eastern  section.     Meantime 

the  western  section  had  been  pushed  up  to  level 

52.5. 

On  September  first  the  condition  of  the  eastern 

section  was  shown  in  the  first  picture. 

Seven  days  later  the  buttresses  are  up  to  their 

first  level  as  shown  in  the  second  picture. 

The  entire  dam  is  shown  in  the   third  picture 

looking  upstream. 


27 


28 


September  15,  1907 


TWO  views  looking  up  stream  showing  the  forms 
^•^  for  waste  way  near  the  eastern  bank.  In  No.  1 
you  will  notice  that  there  is  a  rabbet  in  the  buttresses 
to  receive  a  floor  over  the  waste  way,  in  order  that 
when  the  gates  are  open  the  waste  water  can  not 
interfere  with  the  passage-way  through  the  dam, 
which  is  seen  above  the  floor  level. 

In  the  second  view  the  forms  are  partially 
embedded  in  the  concrete  and  the  guides  for  the 
waste  gates  are  in  place. 

These  gates  are  operated  from  the  interior  of  the 
dam  as  shown  in  the  detailed  sketch  below. 


29 


September  20,  1907 


THESE  three  views  taken  together  show  the 
^•^  entire  structure.  In  the  first  one  note  that  the 
foundations  for  the  canal  wall  are  completed. 
1  500  yards  of  concrete  were  used  here. 

The  power  house,  which  is  built  of  concrete 
blocks  on  a  steel  frame,  is  nearly  completed  and 
the  concrete  roof  is  being  put  on. 

The  bulkhead  behind  the  power  house  is  at 
62.5  and  the  lower  slope  of  the  roll  way  section 
shows  the  curve  of  the  bucket. 

The  extreme  eastern  section  shows  the  rein- 
forcing steel  in  place  and  a  little  of  the  crest  shows 
at  the  extreme  right. 


October  10,  1907 


ORK  has  been  concentrated  upon  the  roll- 
way  of  the  dam  and  in  the  past  twenty  days 
the  buttresses,  the  deck  and  the  apron  have  pro- 
gressed to  this  stage. 

The  first  view  is  looking  toward  the  east  and 
the  second  is  taken  from  the  eastern  bank  looking 
toward  the  west. 

Note  that  some  of  the  buttresses  are  up  to  the 
level  of  the  roll  way — 62.5. 

Note  also  the  method  of  handling  the  sectional 
forms  by  cable  way. 

Both  of  these  views  are  looking  upstream. 


33 


October  20,  1907 


/4\  HE  rollway  of  the  dam  completed  ;  looking  up 
stream  from  the  western  bank.  The  shadow 
of  the  power  house  is  shown  across  the  lower  part 
of  the  rollway  and  the  finished  wall  of  the  power 
house  is  on  the  extreme  left. 

A  nearby  view  of  the  power  house,  a  fine 
example  of  concrete  block  construction,  the  blocks 
being  manufactured  on  the  ground.  The  roof  is  of 
cinder  concrete  waterproofed  with  asphalt  and 
covered  with  red  Italian  tiling. 


35 


November  1,  1907 


extended  view  showing  power  house  and 
completed  rollway  looking  upstream.  The 
water  is  coming  through  the  dam  in  the  first  two 
sections  of  the  bulkhead  and  work  is  now  proceed- 
ing on  the  bulkhead  and  on  the  canal. 

Observe  the  sectional  forms  still  in  place  near 
the  crest ;  —  these  forms  have  been  in  continuous 
use  since  the  beginning  of  the  work  and  are  still  in 
good  condition. 

Note  that  two  of  the  headgate  piers  at  the 
entrance  to  the  canal  on  the  extreme  left  are 
completed. 


Novemberl5,1907 


T  HIS  view  shows  the  front  or  downstream  side 
^•^  of  the  bulkhead  adjoining  the  power  house, 
—  see  the  gable  end  of  the  power  house  roof  on 
the  extreme  right. 

Through  the  opening  is  shown  the  edge  of 
one  of  the  floors  which  are  built  at  various  levels 
between  the  buttresses.  The  buttresses  are  pierced 
with  doorways,  making  a  series  of  rooms  which  are 
connected  by  iron  stairways,  lighted  by  electricity 
and  are  warm  and  dry. 

These  rooms  are  used  for  storage,  for  work- 
shops, and  the  sections  here  shown  are  utilized  for 
transformer  installation.  The  front  of  the  entire 
bulkhead  is  covered  with  "  Ferro-lnclave  "  as  shown 
here. 

Notice  that  the  workmen  are  engaged  in 
covering  the  ferro-inclave  with  cement  plaster. 
The  front  of  the  entire  bulkhead  as  well  as  the 
partitions  are  treated  on  both  sides  in  like  manner. 


39 


December  I,  1907 


TWO  views  of  the  interior  of  the  forebay  above 
^^  the  power  house  with  some  detail  of  the  racks 
and  the  temporary  spillway.  The  first  picture  is 
looking  up  the  river  through  the  coarse  racks.  The 
fine  racks  and  the  penstock  gates  are  on  the  right  of 
the  picture. 

The  second  photograph  shows  more  details  of 
the  fine  racks  and  gates.  The  gate  hoists  are  just 
being  put  in  place.  At  the  right  of  the  picture  is 
seen  the  temporary  spillway  at  the  end  of  the  forebay. 
This  is  merely  a  wooden  crib  dam  which  will  be 
removed  at  some  future  day  when  the  forebay  and 
power  house  are  enlarged. 


December  IS,   1907 


AFORE-SHORTENED  view  of  the  completed 
structure  showing  the  curve  of  the  apron  and  the 
entrance  to  the  dam  in  the  right  foreground.  The 
passageway  through  the  dam  to  which  this  opening 
communicates,  is  just  under  the  crest  and  is  terminated 
by  a  stairway  in  the  bulkhead  which  opens  upon  the 
bridge  at  the  forebay.  This  passageway  also  com- 
municates by  stairways  with  a  lower  passageway  at 
the  level  of  the  power  house  floor.  These  various 
passageways  and  stairways  give  access  to  every  por- 
tion of  the  interior  of  the  dam  and  bulkhead. 

A  log  sluice  or  trash  gate  is  provided  near  the 
bulkhead  on  the  opposite  shore,  the  gate  being 
operated  from  the  top  of  the  bulkhead  by  a  hand 
wheel  as  shown  in  this  sketch. 


43 


44 


January  1,    1908 


AN  extended  view  of  the  dam  and  entrance  to  the 
forebay  from  the  up-stream  side  taken  before 
the  dam  was  closed ;  the  river  is  now  passing  through 
the  two  openings  just  under  the  log  sluice  and  the 
three  openings  for  waste  gates  which  are  shown  on 
the  extreme  left. 

On  the  right  are  the  coarse  racks  at  the  entrance 
of  the  forebay.  The  bridge  above  the  racks  and  the 
top  of  the  bulkhead  will  later  be  provided  with  a 
railing  for  the  protection  of  visitors  and  workmen. 

The  eastern  bulkhead  just  visible  on  the  extreme 
left  contains  the  stairways,  etc.,  giving  entrance  to  the 
dam  as  shown  on  the  preceding  page. 


ANOTHER  extended  view  of  the  entire  develop- 
ment looking  up  stream.  The  temporary  spill- 
way is  on  the  extreme  left.  Note  the  heavy  forebay 
wall  and  the  penstocks  entering  the  power  house. 

The  transformer  rooms  are  in  the  bulkhead  of 
the  dam  to  the  right  of  the  power  house,  the  high 
tension  transmission  wires  coming  out  from  the  bulk- 
head through  the  six  port  holes  shown  near  the  top. 

The  log  sluice  gate  is  seen  at  the  extreme  left  of 
the  rollway  next  to  the  bulkhead. 


47 


48 


3N  considering  these  photographs  due  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  small 
number  of  men  and  to  the  small  amount  of  construction  plant  necessary  to 
produce  this  result. 

The  entire  concrete  capacity  was  contained  in  two  concrete  mixers  each  of 
1  8  feet  to  the  batch.  This  concrete  was  conveyed  over  a  single  cableway. 

The  crushing  outfit  was  sufficient  merely  to  supply  the  crushed  stone  to  the 
concrete  mixers  as  rapidly  as  they  could  use  it,  there  being  a  storage  capacity  suffi- 
cient for  three  or  four  days'  work. 

One  derrick  was  used  to  supply  sand  and  cement  to  the  mixers,  the  sand 
being  brought  to  the  work  by  teams  from  a  pit  two  miles  distant. 

The  other  two  derricks  shown  in  the  preceding  views  were  principally  used 
in  rock  excavation  and  in  conveying  the  broken  rock  to  the  crusher,  also  in  the  placing 
of  the  steel  work  for  the  frame  of  the  power  house  as  well  as  the  steel  work  in  the 
racks. 

These  three  derricks  were  so  placed  that  they  controlled  the  entire  western 
end  of  the  work  and  were  not  obliged  to  be  shifted  from  their  original  position. 

A  separate  concrete  mixer  of  small  capacity  was  used  in  connection  with  a 
concrete  block  machine  in  the  building  of  the  power  house  walls. 

It  is  very  evident  that  this  development  could  have  been  completed  in  a 
shorter  time  had  the  construction  plant  been  of  larger  capacity.  The  date  of  com- 
pletion, however,  was  regulated  by  the  power  house  structure  and  the  installation  of 
its  machinery  and  greater  speed  was  not  desired,  the  contract  time  limit  being  set  at 
January  1,  1908. 

The  power  house  was  ready  for  the  installation  of  machinery  October  1  st, 
and  together  with  the  rollway  and  bulkhead  of  dam  was  completed  November  1 4th 
—  a  period  of  five  months  and  five  days.  It  is  probable  that  this  record  for  speed 
in  construction  has  not  been  approached. 

All  the  photographs  were  taken  in  the  ordinary  course  of  construction  and 
show  the  men  as  they  were  engaged  in  their  usual  daily  pursuits. 

AMBURSEN  HYDRAULIC  CONSTRUCTION  CO. 
1 76  Federal  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
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